Thomas Jamerson
Thomas Jamerson is an American baritone who had an active international career as an opera and concert performer from the 1960s through the 1990s. He first drew distinction in the field of opera in 1968 when he recorded the role of Baron Douphol in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata for RCA with conductor Georges Prêtre, the RCA Italiana Orchestra, and Montserrat Caballé as Violetta and Carlo Bergonzi as Alfredo. In 1969 he portrayed roles in the United States premieres of two operas at the Santa Fe Opera: Der Auserwählte (The Chosen One) in Arnold Schoenberg's Die Jakobsleiter and Captain of the Royal Guard in Hans Werner Henze's The Bassarids. He was a principal artist with the New York City Opera from 1969 to 1984. In 1971 he notably created the role of Professor Bolental in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man. He currently teaches voice on the faculty at the Music Conservatory of Westchester in White Plains, New York.
Life and career
[edit]Born in Louisiana, Jamerson graduated in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Louisiana State University where he studied with Loren Davidson.[1] He went on to earn a Master of Music in vocal performance from LSU in 1966, and studied with Cornelius L. Reid in New York City. In 1965 he was a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and he performed Giorgio's aria "Di Provenza il mar, il suol chi dal cor ti cancellò?" from Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata in concert at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 28, 1965.[2] In 1966 he made his professional opera debut as Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with the Metropolitan Opera National Company, performing the role in more than 70 cities throughout the United States.[3]
In the late 1960s, Jamerson apprenticed with the Santa Fe Opera (SFO).[4] He notably portrayed the role of Der Auserwählte (The Chosen One) in the United States premiere of Arnold Schoenberg's Die Jakobsleiter and the role of the Captain of the Royal Guard in the United States premiere of Hans Werner Henze's The Bassarids with the SFO in 1969.[5][6] He had first drawn distinction in the field of opera a year earlier when he recorded the role of Baron Douphol in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata for RCA with conductor Georges Prêtre, the RCA Italiana Orchestra, and Montserrat Caballé as Violetta and Carlo Bergonzi as Alfredo in 1968.[7]
Jamerson relocated to New York City, and made his New York opera debut with the New York City Opera in March 1969 as Silvio in Pagliacci.[8] He sang with the American Opera Society in 1969 as Nevers in Giacomo Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots with Beverly Sills as Margaret of Valois at Carnegie Hall.[9] In 1970 he performed the role of Gadshill in Gustav Holst's At the Boar's Head with The Little Orchestra Society and conductor Thomas Scherman at David Geffen Hall.[10] That same year he returned to the NYCO as Monsieur de Brétigny in Jules Massenet's Manon in March 1970 at the David H. Koch Theater with Carol Neblett in the title role and Julius Rudel conducting.[11] He continued to perform with the NYCO for 15 consecutive seasons, appearing in both leading and supporting roles like Sharpless in Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly,[12] Marcello in Puccini's La bohème,[13] Valentin in Charles Gounod's Faust,[14] and Harlequin in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos[15] among many others. In 1971 he created the role of Professor Bolental in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man with the NYCO.[16] He notably re-created one of the roles in his NYCO repertoire, Pish‐Tush in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, in the 1978 film Foul Play starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase.[17] In 1983 he represented the City Opera's soloist employees who were members of the American Guild of Musical Artists in highly publicized labor dispute meetings with the NYCO orchestra, the NYCO governing board, and the New York State Department of Labor.[18] His final performance with the NYCO was as Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème in 1984.[19]
In addition to performing with the NYCO, Jamerson also performed in operas with the Baltimore Opera Company, Canadian Opera Company, the Opera Company of Boston, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. In his later career, he has dedicated most of his time to teaching voice on the faculty at the Music Conservatory of Westchester and working as a church musician at Grace Episcopal Church in White Plains, New York. At Grace Episcopal Church he performed the title role in Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde (1998) and the Bishop in the East Coast premiere of Stephen Paulus'a The Three Hermits (1999).[20][21]
Roles with New York City Opera
[edit]- Silvio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (1969, 1972, 1977)[22]
- Monsieur de Brétigny in Jules Massenet's Manon (1970, 1978, 1979 David H. Koch Theater, Carol Neblett in title role, Julius Rudel conducting)[11]
- Unknown role in Dmitri Shostakovich's 1934 opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (1970, NYCO)[23]
- Dandini in Rossini's La Cenerentola (1970, 1983)[24]
- Professor Bolental in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man (1971)
- Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème (1971, 1972, 1983, 1984)[25][26]
- Silvano in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera (1971)[27]
- Faninal in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier (1973)[28]
- Sharpless in Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly (1973, 1975)[12]
- Ottone in Claudio Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea (1973)[29]
- The Secretary in Hans Werner Henze's Der junge Lord (1973)[30]
- The Three Barge Men in Frederick Delius A Village Romeo and Juliet (1973)[31]
- Marcello in Puccini's La bohème (1974, 1977, 1978, 1979)[13]
- Pish‐Tush in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado (1974)[32]
- Valentin in Charles Gounod's Faust (1974)[14]
- Harlequin in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos (1974, 1975, 1977)[15]
- Masetto in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni (1974)[33]
- Ping in Puccini's Turandot (1975, 1977)[34]
- Morales in Georges Bizet's Carmen (1975, 1977, 1981)[35][36]
- Dr. Falke in Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus (1976)[37]
- Barney in Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe (1976)[38]
- Sonora in Puccini's La fanciulla del West (1977)[39]
- Rouche in Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier (1979)[40]
- Dr. Cajus in Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor (1981)[41]
- Belcore in Gaetano Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore (1981, New York Grand Opera)[42]
- Barone Douphol in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata (1982)[43]
- Marquis de Cascada in Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow (1982, 1983)[44]
- Gravedigger in Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet (1982)[45]
Concert work
[edit]- Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 at Carnegie Hall with conductor Arthur Winograd and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra (1971)[46]
- Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's Magnificat with the Danbury Symphony Orchestra (1997)[47]
References
[edit]- ^ "LSU, Baton Rouge LA., Friday, May 24, 1963, Graduation Ceremonies". Louisiana Digital Library. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ "National Council Concert. Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/28/1965". Metropolitan Opera Performance Archives. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ Martin Bernheimer (August 2006). "The Not-So-Grand Tour". Opera News. Vol. 71, no. 2. pp. 40–45.
- ^ Donal Henahan (August 16, 1981). "Music View; A Hearty Mix of Opera and Green Chilies". The New York Times.
- ^ Harold C. Schonberg (August 11, 1968). "Opera: Henze at Santa Fe". The New York Times.
- ^ Harold C. Schonberg (August 16, 1968). "Music: Schoenberg at Santa Fe Opera". The New York Times.
- ^ Records in Review. University of California Press. 1968. p. 388.
- ^ Robert T. Jones (March 1, 1969). "City Opera Records Good and Bad Night". The New York Times.
- ^ Raymond Ericson (May 15, 1969). "MEYERBEER WORK IN CONCERT FORM". The New York Times.
- ^ Harold C. Schonberg (January 28, 1970). "Music: Double‐Bill of English Operas". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Robert Sherman (March 16, 1970). "City Opera Sings Revised Manon; Three Major Parts Recast – Carol Neblett Pleases". The New York Times.
- ^ a b John Rockwell (March 11, 1973). "Thomas Jamerson in Sharpless Role". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Raymond Ericson (February 24, 1974). "Spring La boheme at City Opera". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Allen Hughes (September 22, 1974). "Opera: Strong Faust by City Troupe". The New York Times.
- ^ a b John Rockwell (September 29, 1974). "Opera: Ariadne Is Back". The New York Times.
- ^ Margaret Ross Griffel (2013). Operas In English: A Dictionary. Scarecrow Press. p. 329. ISBN 9780810883253.
- ^ Jay Robert Nash; Stanley Ralph Ross; Robert Connelly (1985). The Motion Picture Guide. Vol. 3. University of Virginia Press. ISBN 9780933997004.
- ^ John Rockwell (August 16, 1983). "State Board Will Study Dispute at City Opera". The New York Times.
- ^ Will Crutchfield (July 9, 1984). "Music: City Opera Presents Puccini's Bohème". The New York Times.
- ^ Robert Sherman (April 19, 1998). "Music; Cinderella, Musical, at Library". The New York Times.
- ^ Robert Sherman (April 25, 1999). "Music; Bel Canto Returns to Caramoor". The New York Times.
- ^ Robert Sherman (April 24, 1972). "Cav' and Pag' Enlists Two New Heroines". The New York Times.
- ^ Theodore Strongin (April 13, 1970). "City Opera Presents Bright Ismailova". The New York Times.
- ^ Donal Henahan (September 22, 1983). "Music: City Opera Offers Cendrillon". The New York Times.
- ^ "Miss Craig Pleases In City Opera Debut". The New York Times. April 6, 1971.
- ^ Bernard Holland (September 25, 1983). "City Opera: Season's First La bohème". The New York Times.
- ^ Raymond Ericson (April 10, 1971). "Clatworthy Plays City Opera Renato". The New York Times.
- ^ Harold C. Schonberg (February 23, 1973). "City Opera Starts Its Season With Der Rosenkavalier". The New York Times.
- ^ Donal Henahan (March 29, 1973). "Opera: Neblett's Poppea". The New York Times.
- ^ Raymond Ericson (April 22, 1973). "City Standbys Sing in Last Young Lord". The New York Times.
- ^ Allen Hughes (October 8, 1973). "Village Romeo and Juliet Sparkles at City Opera". The New York Times.
- ^ Raymond Ericson (March 18, 1974). "Mikado Is a First for State Theater". The New York Times.
- ^ Harold C. Schonberg (October 6, 1974). "Opera: City Troupe Returns With Half‐Hearted Don Giovanni". The New York Times.
- ^ Allen Hughes (February 22, 1975). "Opera: Lavish Turandot". The New York Times.
- ^ Allen Hughes (September 8, 1975). "Music: Welcome Tenor". The New York Times.
- ^ Donal Henahan (October 2, 1981). "City Opera: Patricia Miller as Carmen". The New York Times.
- ^ Peter G. Davis (September 13, 1976). "Opera: Strauss". The New York Times.
- ^ Jerry L. McBride (2011). Douglas Moore: A Bio-bibliography. A-R Editions.
- ^ Harold C. Schonberg (October 17, 1977). "Opera: La fanciulla del West". The New York Times.
- ^ Raymond Ericson (February 24, 1979). "City Opera: Andrea Chénier". The New York Times.
- ^ Donal Henahan (February 20, 1981). "Opera: Wildermann in Merry Wives". The New York Times.
- ^ Peter G. Davis (July 5, 1981). "Opera: Outdoor L'elisir". The New York Times.
- ^ Bernard Holland (July 19, 1982). "Park Opera: La traviata". The New York Times.
- ^ Donal Henahan (September 8, 1982). "City Opera: Merry Widow". The New York Times.
- ^ Donal Henahan (September 15, 1982). "Opera: Milnes Sings Hamlet Lead". The New York Times.
- ^ Raymond Ericson (April 25, 1971). "Hartford Symphony Excels in Mahler". The New York Times.
- ^ Robert Sherman (March 9, 1997). "A Choral Resurgence with Bach and Handel". The New York Times.